Walter hayes fitch



(No Model.)

W. H. FITCH. RAIL JOINT.

PatentedApr. 14, 1896.l

'A Ev UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

TALTER HAYES FITCH, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,272, dated April 14, 1896.

Application iilecl September 7, 1895. Serial No. 561,734. (No model.)

To ZZZ whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, WALTER HAYES FITCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Join ts; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the intention, such as will enable others skilled in the-art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this speciiication.

My invention relates to a new and novel method of strengthening the joints or railsplices of railroads to afford a reliable means whereby the joint or splice is supported and rendered as strong and stiff as any other part of a rail; and it consists of truss-rods of peculiar form in connection with either a com- 1non form or special design of fish-bar splice and the usual cross-ties, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the present state of the art it has been found impossible inthe operation of railroads to prevent low joints, or an injurious depression of the line at each splice of the rails, which are in sections of suitable length for convenient use. At each joint a small space is left between the ends of the two adjoining rails to permit expansion longitudinally. Vhen the wheels of cars roll along the rails and over these spaces, they prod uce a pound` ing effect upon the rail ends, gradually flattening the tops of the rails at these points, doing irreparable damage to the rails, the life of which is greatly lessened on that account, besides much damage is done also to rolling equipment on account of the incessant jarring. My objects are to obviate these objections and to provide a rail-joint that is readily adjustable vertically to maintain an even surface on top; to provide for a distribution of the load or unequal effect of the load at joint due to the wheels passing across the eX- pansion-space from one rail to another, so that the ties on either side of a joint-tie will receive a part of the joint-strains; to prevent the slight alternating vertical motion of the ends of rails at joints, which otherwise assist in the iiattening of the tops of rails at the ends, and to so secure the rails at the joints that on curves, should the spikes become loose, as they commonly do, the rail cannot turn over under the usual conditions in service. j

My invention is of few parts, simple in design, easily and cheaply constructed, economical and durable in use, and its merits will be obvious by an examination of the description of details and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l represents a side view of a portion of two rails joined by my device. Fig. 2 isa cross-sectional view of a rail and splice-bars on line A B of Fig. l, showing ends of trussrods. Fig. 3 is a side view of an end portion of a splice-bar, showing a modified truss-rod having its end lugged'over the end of splicebar; and Fig. 4 is a plan view of same.

In the construction of my device I make the truss-rods G in three parts each, and when connected each end of a truss-rod has an eye Z, through which an ordinary track-bolt of suitable length is inserted. Each rod G has a flattened portion n, which is sufficiently broad to afford a solid bearing against the under side of a j oint-tie without cutting into the softer texture of wood. Between this and one end of the rod it is divided into two parts h and m, each of which have screwthreads, one right and the other left pitch at their stub ends, to which is screwed a turnbuckle L for the purpose of adjustment and taking up slack when necessary. This turnbuckle may be made with threads at one endonly, the other having a swivel, but I prefer both ends to be threaded.' In some cases I make the truss-rods having lugged ends, which relieves the securing-bolts from the shearing transverse strain, transferring it directly against the ends of the splice-bars, while the bolts secure the rod ends against the side of the splice-bar. Suitable cross-ties are used in the usual manner and the rails C are laid and spiked upon them. metallic plate N on top of jointtie approximately as long as the width of a tie and wide as the bottom of rail, or wider, when used upon soft ties for the purpose of preventing the chafing of the wood by the stub ends of the rails as the wheels pass from one rail to another. These are secured to the tie by spikes.

I provide a IOO The splice-bars D, one at each side of the rails at each joint, extend across the j oint-tie H to the next ties H and H2 at either side and are bolted against the rails in the usual manner. As these splice-bars may have no horizontal angle-plates they permit of the rails at joints conforming more readily to the necessary curves of the road, While the loss of the strength of such angle-plates, if omitted, is more than compensated by my trussrods. These have their ends secured bybolts F at the ends of the angle-bars, While the attened centers pass under the joint-tie II. The turnbuckle being turned on a rod it becomes taut and raises the tie Il and joint until the track-rails present a straight surface on top. The rods thus prevent the joints becoming low, even When a joint-tie should not be solidly resting upon the grading, as the trusses bind the rails vertically as strongly as the other parts of a rail, so that the adjacent ties II and H2 Will support a joint until they should gradually settle down from neglect. This would cause a long sag only and have none of the evils of a sag of the jointtie only, as is now common With other spliees. This manner of securing the rails to the jointties also prevents the rails from being turned over on curves Where the lateral thrust is most severe. Provision is made as usual for expansion and contraction of rails by having elongated holes in the rails, through which the splice-bolts loosely enter.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desireto secure'by Letters Patent, is

l. In a railway trussed rail-joint having a pair of splice-bars bolted to the sides and securing the ends of two rails together and the usual cross-ties upon which said rails are spiked, one of said ties beingl under said joint, the combination of the truss-rods G having the eyes Z at each end thereof attached by'said splice-bolts, and the turnbuckle L attached to the parted parts 72, and m; the iiattened portion `n at middle part of said trussrods bearing against under side of said jointtie and the plate N spiked to said tie under said rail-joint, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a railway trussed rail-joint having splice-bars bolted to the sides of the rails connecting the ends thereof and a supporting cross-tie under said rails at joint, the combination of the truss-rods G having the eyes Z at each end bolted by means of the said splicebolts to the sides near the ends of said splicebars; the flattened portion n at middle of said truss-rods bearing against under side of said cross-tie, and the turnbuekle L for producing a strain on said truss-rods, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a railway-rail joint having metallic splice-bars, suitable cross-tie under said joint and truss-rods connected at their ends to thel sides of said splice-bars supporting at their centers the said joint-tie, the combination with said truss-rods, of a lngged end on each extremity of said rods extending over and against the ends of said splice-bars, and a hole in said lugged end through the same to receive a bolt by which it may be secured latwise against the side of said splice-bars, substantially as shown and described.

4. In a railway-rail joint, havingV two rails with ends adjacent, a cross-tie under' said rail ends, a number of cross-ties under said rails adjacent on either sideof said joint-tie, the rails being spiked tosaid ties, a splice-bar on each side of said rail ends bolted to sides of same and extending across said joint-tie to each of the next adjoining ties, the combination of the under truss-rods G, having the eyes Z and turnbuckle L bearing at their centers against under side of said joint-tie and having their ends secured by joint-bolts to ends of said splice-bars so that said rods and said bars with said tie as a strut form a complete truss and bond to prevent said rails from turningv over from a normal position, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. In a railway-rail joint having splice-bar connections and a cross-tie undersaid joint, the combination ofthe'truss-rods G having the turnbuckle L and connected at the ends to the ends of said splice-bars, and the center bearing against the under side of said tie as al strut for said' truss-rods, the Whole securing said railsto said tie, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VALTER HAYES FITCH.

fitnessesz S. D. MORRISON, M. McDoNALD.

IOO 

